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Place dossier plate
SheetTX-VAN-HORN-TX · Van Horn, TX 1,965 pop · income 10th pct · 1 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Van Horn
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Van Horn on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Ocklawaha · lowest
35,255
Ocklawaha · lowest
35,255 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #1
Platteville · near
42,667
Platteville · near
42,667 median HH income
35.5% of the leader · rank #2
Pink Hill · near
42,670
Pink Hill · near
42,670 median HH income
35.5% of the leader · rank #3
Van Horn · this city
42,672
Van Horn · this city
42,672 median HH income
35.5% of the leader · rank #4
Newville · near
42,679
Newville · near
42,679 median HH income
35.5% of the leader · rank #5
Paint · near
42,679
Paint · near
42,679 median HH income
35.5% of the leader · rank #6
Hartley · highest
120,354
Hartley · highest
120,354 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Van Horn on ACS population and median household income
. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 1,965.
Van Horn ranks in the 10th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
10th
percentile, household income
5th
percentile, home value
40th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Van Horn, TX
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 1,965 residents in Van Horn, a small town within Texas. The typical household in Van Horn brings in $42,672 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 12.7%. Typical homes in Van Horn are valued around $86,600, and the median resident age is 48.1 years. 18.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 54.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 25 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 213% from five years earlier. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 63.4°F with 10.3 inches of precipitation per year and 3.3 inches of snowfall.
Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,149 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Texas run around $223, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.0 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Van Horn's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to population change to within-city variation to schools and households to climate and hazard context to housing and income to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Van Horn, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for Van Horn?
Within Texas, the closest population matches are Troup (1,965 residents, $51,563 income); Shamrock (1,966 residents, $61,528 income); Little Cypress (1,968 residents, $87,839 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Crystal Lawns, IL (1,965 residents); Three Way, TN (1,965 residents); Tenino, WA (1,965 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.
Is Van Horn growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +93 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 25 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 18.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Van Horn?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 63.4°F, with 10.3 inches of precipitation and 3.3 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Texas is 49.0 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
63.4°F
Annual precipitation
10.3 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
49.0
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
How far does income reach against housing in Van Horn?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Household income
$42,672
Home value
$86,600
Value / income
2.0×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What does the journey to work look like in Van Horn?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 91.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
1.2%
Drive alone
91.4%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 833 workers age 16+.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living C-
97.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share F
18.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate F
12.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$42,672
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Van Horn profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 53/100 (C-) · 97.1 index
Bachelor's+ share: 31/100 (F) · 18.8%
Poverty rate: 29/100 (F) · 12.7%
Household income: 10/100 (F) · $42,672
How does Van Horn compare to other US cities?
Where Van Horn sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income10% higher than other cities
Home value5% pricier than other cities
Median rent40% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Van Horn against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Texas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Texas-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Van Horn near the bottom of Texas's cities
Among the 1,663 Texas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Van Horn ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Van Horn only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#1,305 of 1,520
14th percentile in Texas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,663
0th percentile in Texas
Median Home Value
#1,240 of 1,505
18th percentile in Texas
Poverty Rate
#607 of 1,663
63rd percentile in Texas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#729 of 1,663
56th percentile in Texas
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Texas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
10th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Van Horn's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$86,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 95% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Van Horn's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.0×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#1,737 of 15,516
More affordable than 89% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,661 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.0×, Van Horn sits in the affordable band:
national rank #1,737 of 15,516 and #1,661 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$42,672Van Horn, TX median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Van Horn, TX median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Van Horn, TX.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)18.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)12.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)54.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,965
Median Income
$42,672
Median Home Value
$86,600
Median Age
48.1
Poverty Rate
12.7%
Labor force participation
54.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.8%
Climate
Avg Temperature
63.4°F
Annual Precipitation
10.3"
Annual Snowfall
3.3"
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Van Horn's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
1,927 residents
2021
1,936 residents
2022
1,917 residents
2023
1,958 residents
2024
2,022 residents
2025
2,020 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
25
housing units authorized
Single-Family
9
detached homes
Multifamily
16
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
12.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
8
8
0
$0.5M
2020
48
0
48
$0.4M
2021
23
1
22
$2.4M
2022
18
8
10
$3.2M
2023
21
7
14
$3.1M
2024
25
9
16
$3.8M
Permit volume increased 213% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
91.4%
Carpool
2.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
1.2%
Other
5.1%
Based on 833 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Texas statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $223
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Texas at $223 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Texas statewide averages, not a meter reading for Van Horn. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Texas's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.1 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Van Horn is $1,149/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Texas statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.0 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Texas statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Van Horn sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Van Horn compares to similar-size Texas cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.